Process for treating shrimp



Juy E8, @7 F. s. LAPEYRE PROCESS FOR TREATING SHRIMP 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled June ll, 1965 INVENTOR Fernand S. Lapeyr@ ATTONEY mo w Jdmmoo July8, 1967 F s, LAPEYRE 3,331,097

PROCESS FOR TREATING SHRIMP Filed June ll, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR y Fernand S. Lapeyre ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,331,997Patented July 18, 1967 ddee 3,331,097 PROCESS FOR TREATING SHRIMPFernand S. Lapeyre, New Orleans, La., assignor to The LaitramCorporation, New Orleans, La., a corporation of Louisiana Filed .lune11, 1965, Ser. No. 463,290 Claims. (Cl. 17-45) 'Ihe present inventionrelates to process for treating shrimp.

An object of the invention is to break or disjoint the articulationbetween the 5th and 6th segments of a shrimp to the end that the firstve abdominal segments may be peeled to expose the included meat, whilethe 6th abdominal segment is left intact along with the uropods andtelson in a pattern which is generally referred to as fantail shrimp.

The -articulation between the 5th and 6th shell segments of a shrimp iscomposed of what are technically referred to as lateral condyle hinges.Such hinges are two in number and the same are located at lateralportions of the segments. The object of the invention is to disjoin orpull apart the components of these segments by a single movementrelatively between the 5th and 6th segments which preferablycontemporaneously acts upon yboth lateral hinges in a movement which ineffect pulls the components of the hinges apart.

A further object of the invention is to provide a process for breakingor disjointing the lateral condyle hinges between the 5th and 6thabdominal segments to facilitate the later peeling of the rst fivesegments only subsequent to an incising or slitting operation performedon the dorsal side of the shrimp to and through the first five abdominalsegments.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a process by whichshrimp may be brought in succession to an operative station, therehalted in movement, immobilized, subjected to a hinge disjointingoperation, subsequently released and moved to a discharge position whilea subsequent shrimp is being brought into correct registry in theoperating station to the immobilizing means.

The invention has for a further object to provide in one embodiment acontinuous process by which shrimp are moved step-wise in continuoussuccession to an operating station wherein the 6th segment, after beingarrested in motion and immobilized, are subjected to a substantiallyunidirectional thrust movement in a dorsalto-ventral direction about alateral fulcrum which is preferably substantially parallel with anddisplaced from the axial line passing through both lateral condylehinges with the ultimate effect of pulling the 6th segment from the 5thsegment so that both hinges are disjointed substantially simultaneously.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will `bemore fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointedout in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic of a de-headed shrimp with applicableterminology applied thereto showing the raw product on which theimproved process and apparatus operate.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of thearticulation between the 5th and 6th shell abdominal segments showingthe normal jointed condition thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a similar view showing the condition of the condyle hingesafter being treated by the process and machine of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective View showing one form of machinefor carrying out the improved process.

FIGURE 5 is a similar view with certain mechanical details omitted butshowing the manner in which headless shrimp are placed upon a conveyorby which the same are moved in succession to an operating station.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing a shrimp immobilized andin the act of subjection to the disjointing operation.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view taken at the operatingstation showing a form of device by which the disjointing 'operation maybe performed.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational View of thearticulation between the 5th and 6th shell abdominal segments showingthe placement of the shrimp so that the fulcrum is beneath the 6thsegment aft of the vertical line passing through the hinge axis.

FIGURE 9 is a similar view showing the separation of the condyle hingesand the position of the 6th segment after the hinges have `been pulledapart.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and initially to FIGURE lwhich illustrates the essential morphology of the shrimp, particularlythe white shrimp (Pemzeus setz'ferus) which is more particularlyillustrated on pages 4, 5, 6 and 104 of Fishery Bulletin 145 by JosephH. Young, from Fishery Bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service, volume59, United States Department of the Interior.

FIGURE l illustrates a headless or de-headed shrimp showing that thebody section containing the edible meat is enclosed in abdominalsegments 1 to 6 inclusive, the 6th segment being directly connected tothe uropods land the telson: such 6th segment being connected with the5th segment by the lateral condyle hinges which provide the articulationbetweeen these segments by which the shrimp is enabled to assume thecurled condition typical of the specie.

A detail of this articulation is shown more clearly on page 104 of thepublication referred to. While there is a -similar articulation betweenthe 4th and 5th segments it does not possess the strength of the hingesbetween the 5th and 6th segments and as the 5th segment, along withsegments 1, 2, 3, 4, is to be incised and removed revealing the bodymeat, the invention is not concerned with the articulation between the4th and 5th segments lbut only with the hinges between the 5th and 6thsegments, as the latter are preferably to be disjointed, pulled out orbroken advantageously before slitting the dorsal side of the shrimp asotherwise the undisturbed articulation at this point may becometroublesome in securing full and clean removal of the 5th segment andmay cause tearing of the meat or other multilati'on resulting indown-grading of the meat in the market.

FIGURE 2 shows the articulation between the 5th and 6th abdominalsegments intact in its natural association.

FIGURE 3 shows that, by operation of the process and machine of theinvention, the 6th segment has been displaced rearwardly as a result ofthe operation of the process and machine of this invention.

Referring more particularly to FIGURES 4 to 7 inclusive, a form ofmachine is illustrated which includes a frame designated generally at 15in which is mounted an endless conveyor 16, preferably of a flexiblemesh type, on which are mounted cradles for the headless shrimp. Therecradles may comprise rods or bars 17, 18 spaced apart a suitabledistance for receiving and retaining the headless shrimp, as indicatedin FIGURES 5, 6 and 7. These cradles are spaced apart suitable distancesconforming to the dictates of an indexing mechanism 19 which requiresthat the conveyor be moved step-by-step through exact equal lineardistances in order to register the shrimp accurately at an operatingstation to an immobilizing member and a hinge disjointing member 21.

The conveyor 16 may be driven by any suitable motor 22; for instance, anelectric motor incorporating the usual reduction gear, through a chainor other drive 23 from a drive sprocket 24 on the shaft 25 controlled bythe indexing mechanism 19.

The indexing shaft 25 may also drive a cam 26 or other suitablemechanism for tripping a hydraulic valve 2'7 connected with hydraulicsupply and return lines 28 and 29. The shaft 25 may, if desired, bestepped-up in rotation through a step-up gear 30 to assure sufficientrotation of the cam 26 to supply and withdraw hydraulic uid to and froma hydraulic motor 31 lby lines 32 and 33.

A plunger rod 34 of the motor 31 may be pivotally connected at 35 to theimmobilizing member 20, which latter may be pivoted at 36 to upstandingbrackets 37 on the frame 15.

Operation of the motor 31 is accordingly in timed relation to that ofthe conveyor 16 so that the immobilizing member 20 will be lowered upona shrimp, as shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, at the operating station when themotor 22 and indexing mechanism 19 have moved the next in line shrimp onthe conveyor into accurate registry at the operating station beneath themembers 29 and 21.

In descending to the position of FIGURE 6 the immobilizing memberencounters and depresses a spring projected micro or other switchactuating button 38 for closing a circuit 39, 40 to a motor 41 connectedthrough chain and sprocket drive 42, or otherwise, to a rotary shaft 43on which the hinge disjointing member 21 is mounted. In this waythe tailor hinge breaker may only be put in operation after the shrimp has beenhalted at the operating station and the immobilizing member 20 loweredto final position thereon.

As shown in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, the shrimp are placed upon the conveyorbelt 16 in the order and orientation illustrated in which the 6thabdominal segment overhangs an anvil 44 which may be a siding for theconveyor. This anvil serves to supply a fulcrum about which the 6thabdominal shell segment may be rocked or partially rotated incident tothe downward striking or thrust movement of the breaker member 21 whichmay have one or more paddles, two such paddles being indicated in thedrawing.

The free edges of the paddles may be incurved as indicated at 45 toconform generally to the curvature of the dorsal side of the 6thabdominal segment, as shown particularly in FIGURE 7 where the member`21 is shown as being flexed incident to the downward striking blow andthe resistance thereto afforded by the 6th abdominal segment. In otherWords the so-called tail breaking member 21 may be of relatively stiffrubber contoured at its striking edges, as shown and referred to.

In operation, shrimp may be placed on the conveyor by hand or machine asthe cradles rotate from the underside of the conveyor upwardly at thenear end of the conveyor, as viewed in FIGURE 4. The conveyor movesstep-by-step the distance between cradles and undergoes dwell periods atthe operating station. At dwell periods the indexing mechanism haltseach cradle in accurate registry with the immobilizing member, at whichtime the cam 26 has positioned the valve mechanism 27 to deliverpressurized fluid through. the line 32 to the cylinder 31 of the motor,moving the piston and plunger rod 34 forwardly and lowering theimmobilizing member 20 upon the shrimp occupying the incident cradle.This position of the parts is shown in FIGURE 6.

Incident -to this movement of the immobilizing member 20 the circuit 39,40 is closed through the valve actuating member 38 and motion of thebreaker member 21 is generated by action of the motor 41. One or morestrikes 4 may be made by the paddles of the breaker member 21 which willrotate in a counterclockwise movement, as viewed in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6.

The breaker member 21 will descend on the tail portion of the shrimpwhich is overhanging the anvil 44 and tend to rock the tailpieceincluding the 6th abdominal shell segment about the axis defined by theupper edge of the anvil 44, thus causing a dorsal-to-ventral movement ofthe tailpiece in a substantialy vertical or unidirectional movementwhich in effect -will pull the lateral condyle hinges apart in a singledisplacing movement. The fulcrum defined by the upper edge of the anvil44 is preferably substantially parallel to the axial line connecting thetwo lateral condyle hinges between abdominal shell segments 5 and 6 sothat simultaneous pulling action is exerted on both hinges.

The intermittent movement of the conveyor, the subsequent movement ofthe immobilizing member and the consequent operation of the breakermember are all timed in a definite sequence in which a preselectedlinear travel of the conveyor between dwell periods acts to set inmotion the motor for lowering the immobilizing member 20, and the finaldescending movement of the immobilizing member sets in motion the tailbreaking member.

In FIGURE 2 the shrimp is so placed that the fulcrum is located directlyunder the condyle axis.

FIGURE 3 shows the position of abdominal shell segment 6 after thebreaker member has rocked the 6th segment about this fulcrum, showingthe separation of the components of the hinges.

FIGURE 8 shows that the shrimp has been so placed that the fulcrum isnow placed aft of a vertical line running through the axis of the twocondyle hinges.

FIGURE 9 shows the rocked position of the 6th segment after beingoperated on by the breaker member.

In some of the claims, notably claims 7 and 9, appears the expression,shear stresses. In Van Nostrands Scientific Encyclopedia, third edition,1958, page 563, the following appears in the second column, lines 4-6:

Shearing stress is the force tending to push one layer of the materialpast the adjacent layer, per unit area of the ayers,

In its application here the paddle 45 pushes segment 6 i past adjacentoverlapped segment 5 to break the attachment of the condyle hinges.

Although I have disclosed herein the lbest forms of the invention knownto me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications andchanges as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The process of treating shrimp to break both of the condyle hingesbetween the 5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step ofcausing at least a single movement of one of the segments relatively tothe other substantially in a dorsal-to-ventral direction of the shrimp.

2. The process of treating shrimp lto -break both of the condyle hingesbetween the 5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprisingsubstantially immobilizing at least shell segment 5, while causing acontrolled single moving of the 6th shell segment away from shellsegment in a substantially dorsal-to-ventral direction of the shrimp,and avoiding damage to the meat of the shrimp.

3. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein the move-` ment of shellsegment 6 is about an axis displaced from the axis passing through bothnatural condyle hinges connecting shell segments 5 and 6.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3, wherein the axis displaced fromthat passing through the condyle hinges generally coincides with theedge of a fulcrurn about which shell segment 6 is caused to pivot.

5. The process as claimed in claim 3, wherein the axis about which the6th shell segment is caused to pivot and the axis through the twocondyle hinges between shell segments 5 and 6 are substantiallyparallel.

6. The process of treating shell-on shrimp to break the articulationbetween the 5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step ofapplying unidirection stresses to the condyle hinges substantiallysimultaneously in a substantially dorsal-to-ventral direction of theshrimp, by causing a forced movement of shell segment 6, whilerestraining shell segment 5 from moving so ythat the said condyle hingesare disjoined.

7. The process of treating raw shrimp to break the articulation betweenthe 5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step of applyingstresses to the condyle hinges substantially simultaneously in a singlemovement resulting from at least a single applied force to one of saidsegments relative to the other of said segments, While substantiallyrestraining the other segment, so that said condyle hinges aredisjoined.

8. The process of Itreating shrimp to break the articulation between the5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step of applyingsuflicient stresses to the condyle hinges substantially simultaneouslyin a single movement of abdominal segment 6 in relation to abdominalsegment 5, the movement being in a substantially dorsal-to-ventraldirection so that the said condyle hinges are disjoined.

9. The process of treating raw shell-on shrimp to break the articulationbetween the 5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step ofapplying shear stresses substantially simultaneously to the two lateralcondyle hinges connecting said shell segments in a single forcedmovement of abdominal segment 6 while restraining abdominal segment 5from moving, the movement being in a substantially dorsal-to-ventraldirection so that the hinge connections are disjoined.

10. The process of treating shell-on shrimp to break the articulationbetween the 5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step ofapplying substantially simultaneously sucient stresses to the twolateral condyle hinges connecting said shell segments in a single forcedmovement of abdominal segment 6, such single forced movement being in asubstantially dorsal-to-ventral direction while restraining abdominalsegment 5 from moving, so that the hinge connections are disjoined.

11. The process of treating shrimp to break the articulation between the5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step of applying aunidirectional force between the 5th and 6th abdominal segments formoving the segments relatively apart and simultaneously disjoining bothlateral condyle hinges, such unidirectional force being applied in asubstantially dorsal-to-central direction.

12. The process of treating shrimp to break the articulation between the5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step of applyingthrust substantially simultaneously to lateral areas of the 5th and 6thabdominal shell segments in the vicinity of the lateral condyle hingesin a substantially dorsal-to-ventral direction for disjoining thehinges.

13. The process of treating shrimp to break the articulation between the5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step of generating aforce applied in one movement to both lateral condyle hinges yacting ina substantially dorsal-to-ventral direction for separating thecomponents of the hinges and enabling the lirst ve segments to bede-shelled While leaving the 6th segment intact.

14. The process of treating shrimp to break the articulation between the5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the step of pivoting ina dorsal-to-ventral di- `rection the 6th segment relatively to the 5thsegment about an axis displaced from the lateral axis passing throughthe natural condyle hinges to lever the condyle hinges apart.

15. The process of treating shrimp to break the articulation between the5th and 6th abdominal shell segments comprising the steps ofimmobilizing at least shell segment 5, `angularly moving the 6th segmentrelatively to the 5th segment about a fulcrum displaced rearwardly ofthe axis passing laterally through both condyle hinges to exert alongitudinally rearward force pulling the hinges apart.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,974,356 3/1961 Cerny 17-23,164,859 l/l965 Ambos et al. 17-45 3,238,561 3/ 1966 Jonsson 17-453,247,542 4/ 1966 Jonsson 17-2 3,253,299 5/ 1966 Harris 17-45 LUCIE H.LAUDENSLAGER, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,331,097 July 18, 1967 Fernand S. Lapeyre It is hereby certified thaterror appears n the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 60, for "segment", second occurrence, A read segment 5Signed and sealed this 27th day of August 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, J1'. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents

1. THE PROCESS OF TREATING SHRIMP TO BREAK BOTH OF THE CONDYLE HINGESBETWEEN THE 5TH AND 6TH ABDOMINAL SHELL SEGMENTS COMPRISING THE STEP OFCAUSING AT LEAST A SINGLE MOVEMENT OF ONE OF THE SEGMENTS RELATIVELY TOTHE OTHER SUBSTANTIALLY IN A DORSAL-TO-VENTRAL DIRECTION OF THE SHRIMP.